What to do while waiting for the next episode of the Game Under podcast?

Pretend to be learning by listening to or watching a lecture on YouTube.

One of the best things about the internet is how easy it has made accessing public lectures. Okay, sure, it's pretty easy to go to public lectures in person (and they're often free, too), but most people under the age of 50 are probably too self-conscious to go, judging by the elderly audiences of public lectures on the internet*. Unless the subject is something controversial, in which case zealots of all ages attend to whinge during questions at the end that the lecture didn't represent their views verbatim.

Anyway, public lectures are great not because they're a particularly good way of learning about a topic, but because they become a meditatively relaxing experience, whereas when attending one in person you are part of an audience, so boredom or excitement is more likely than meditation. Unless you're the type of person to sleep in a cinema, or at the football. Or while driving. Oh, and those zealouts at the end? They're even more insufferable if you're sitting next to them. 

But not all lectures are orrated equal. Unlike lectures designed to sell books (think Ted's sensory overloads of commercial bollocks), some public lectures consist of condensed blocks of information on specialised subjects presented as simply and concisely as possible. When this format is done well, little concentration is required to follow every word; the information presented creates just enough of an inkling of what the subject is really about to pique one's interest in it and, because so little concentration is wasted on comprehension, it allows one to simultaneously listen to the lecturer while forming one's own thoughts on the subject based on the information being presented. This is the perfect balance for entering a semi-meditative state: focusing one's attention on a single subject without preventing one's mind from wandering (into nothingness, if you please).

Here are several lectures to get you started. You can pretend to be smart in no time, and all you need to do is procrastinate on YouTube (something you were probably doing anyway)!

This lecture is something of an anomaly: It's promoting a book, the lecturer is charismatic and regularly makes jokes, yet it nevertheless manages to successfully fulfill the above criteria due to how well he focuses on the most relevant information. Which, I suppose, is easier in archaeology than most subjects, due to the lack of information to base your conclusions on. ;)

Oh, and it's about the end of the world we're apparently facing due to globalisation and climate change but when it occurred (as it has with some regularity throughout history) over a thousand years before Christ may or may not have been born.

And the weirdest thing? It's a lecture at a sceptic's society that isn't designed for a bunch of bellends who like to make fun of people who believe in ghosts because it makes them feel smart.

Sir Geoffrey Nice worked as a prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, so it's no surprise that his best lecturers are about war crime law. But don't let that put you off, this particular lecture is about a war crimes tribunal that is less likely to turn you into a nihilist-atheist-hypocrite praying for the above apocalypse to occur than the official ones are. Spoiler: it turns out the best sort of war crimes tribunal for the victims of war crimes is one that has no power. Unless it's run by Russel and Sartre. Then it's as much of a political game of pin the war crime on the war criminal (a game much easier than pin the tail on the donkey, because even blindfolded you're all but guaranteed to win due to the size of humanity's brutal posterior). [My conclusion, not his.]

Given the subject matter, obviously it contains some disturbing images. Incidentally, consider why trigger warnings are offensive to so many, yet warnings before graphic news bulletins, or those stickers that ruin your videogame boxes, are not...

Professor Vernon Bogdanor is a man who loves England, loves history, and has an audience so appreciative that it laughs at every one of his jokes, no matter how silly, as if he's George Carlin**. And the Falklands War (when England defeated a tinpot dictatorship in a fight over an island England didn't actually want, then acted like it had won the 21st Century's Waterlooo) is a very comic subject.

Also, if anyone tells you we'd be living in a peaceful utopia if all politicians were women, just remind them of Margaret Thatcher. Or Angela Merkel in a few years time. 

Christianity, as much as many would like it not to be, is still one of the best ways to understand the feelings, thoughts and political mannerisms we have acted out in the West and continue to act out. This particular lecture is on Protestantism's role in abolitionism in Britain, then Britain and America (when America was no longer Britain). In spite of its conciseness, it's a very broad and complex depiction of its subject. Indeed, such broad and complex depictions are hard to find without a religious context.

*Oddly, the public lectures I've actually attended in person had very diverse audiences, the ages of which ranged from toddlers to geriatrics.

**Who technically made almost no jokes, and rarely got any laughs. So he's actually a more successful comedian than George Carlin. But then, George Carlin is probably a better lecturer.

Game Under Podcast Episode 95

Tom and Phil talk AAA development, but also cover the original Xbox, Yakuza Zero, Hollow Knight, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Doom, Scarface, Mafia III and some discussion of Nintendo's Switch

That Switch is turned on.

That Switch is turned on.


Click Here <- That's the link for the show. You know how it works.

 

Hollow Knight Review

Hollow Knight, Team Cherry’s stunning debut game, has taken the Metroidvania genre to a whole new level, with its intricate exploration and challenging combat. Hollow Knight’s parallels to From Software’s Souls series are obvious, but make no mistake, it stands alone in its own uniquely desolate world.

Hollow Knight is a deceptive game; on the surface it looks simple, but it is much more complex than it lets on. When I played the sneak peak—which was limited to the first level, the Forgotten Crossroads—I was already surprised at how intricate it was. The more I played, the more shortcuts I unlocked, and the previously isolated caves became an intertwining web of tunnels and pathways. I compared Hollow Knight’s level design to From Software’s infamous Souls series in my first impressions, but in terms of intricacy and complexity, Hollow Knight is on a whole other level. Indeed, the levels are so intricate that although I completed it in 25 hours, it has a 3 hour speed run achievement. Early levels feature inaccessible pathways leading to later stages. As you explore, each level becomes a hub leading to every other level, allowing traversing the caves, even without the unlockable fast travel, to evolve from slow and meticulous to rapid and effortless.

In the ancient ruins of Hallownest, which lie deep beneath Dirtmouth, you can find many hidden secrets, treasures, odd friends and dangerous foes. These colourful characters have distinct personalities and quirks, and a select few will even set up shop in Dirtmouth. For a fee these shopkeepers provide some essential abilities, tools and items that aid you in your long travels in the perilous caves below. Other characters you meet provide you with the the lore and context of the world, and, much like in the Souls series, it’s really up to you to put the pieces together. One important character sells you a map, a necessity required for navigating the often confusing caves for the first time. The map will only update after you finish exploring and rest at a bench. These benches also replenish your health and act as save points.

Hollow Knight puts an equal emphasis on exploration, platforming and combat. The combat itself starts off relatively simple, with the unnamed character you play as only able to slash enemies, but as enemies begin to spit acid and throw spears, you learn to dodge and keep on the move. You unlock more evasive abilities and offensive attacks as you progress and the combat becomes increasingly more complex; the diverse array of insectoid enemies attack with more ferocity, and a variety of attacks and projectiles begin to fill the screen in an almost bullet-hell-like way. New enemies are introduced in each level, but some enemies return with reskinned looks and retooled abilities. Each unique enemy provides an interesting challenge as you try to figure out their attack patterns, and many of the reskinned enemies also add surprising wrinkles to the combat. For example, the flying mosquitoes that attack in a docile way early on become furious and unrepentant bloodseekers.

Not only are the normal enemies varied, but almost every boss is unique, each with a diverse set of attack patterns and quirks. Analysing these attack patterns is integral to defeating each boss. If you rush your attack it’ll lead to almost immediate death in most cases, as each boss packs a devastating punch. The boss battles are definitely the highlight of the gameplay, as they really emphasise the game’s dodge-based combat and put your skills to the test.

Progression is very deliberate and slow; when you progress it feels meaningful and game changing. Hollow Knight’s controls are tight and fluid; allowing you to deal with the intense platforming and combat with ease. As you attack enemies, your special souls meter fills; souls are used for healing yourself and/or attacking enemies in various devastating ways. In intense battles you have to balance healing and special attacks. Combat is complicated further by charms you buy from the vendors or find in the decrepit tunnels. When equipped, the charms alter your abilities in numerous ways, or even add new ones. For example, one charm can automatically absorb any coins dropped from fallen enemies or found in deposits of treasure; another decreases the cost of using your spells; and yet another gives you extra health, but takes away the ability to heal yourself. Mixing and matching these charms to create interesting combinations provides some variety in the downtime between acquiring new abilities. The platforming can be unforgiving, with seemingly impossible jumps and spikes littering the levels, but these sections are passable with patience and skill and reward you with charms, coin deposits and bountiful treasure chests. The combat makes great use of the platforming mechanics by forcing you to keep nimble and bob and weave as enemies bombard you from all directions with various attacks. Vanquishing enemies without a scratch is an exceedingly satisfying feeling when pulled off.

As mentioned before, Hollow Knight is visually stunning. Its hand-drawn 2D aesthetic looks painstakingly crafted, and is key to bringing to life the isolated and depressing atmosphere of its withered world. Each area has a distinct look and feel, and each is as gorgeous and haunting as the last; the barren and sterile caves of the Forgotten Roads are a far cry from the densely overgrown ruins of Greenpath or the violet-hued industrial caves of the Crystal Peak. Ari Gibson’s art direction coupled with Christopher Larkin’s chillingly beautiful, appropriately subdued soundtrack, propel the atmosphere beyond anything I’ve experienced in a 2D game before.

However, Hollow Knight’s major flaw is its obscurity. I spent a few hours lost in many levels because I either missed a certain ability, or an obscured pathway. Nooks and crannies where required items and abilities are to be found are often so small they’re easy to miss, even when checking the map. It was also difficult to remember every individual room, especially when there were so many distinct rooms containing only extra items unnecessary for progression. For example, you come across so many locked doors early on that when you finally find a key, it’s a tedious case of trying every previous door until one unlocks. And in most cases the item description only contains the vaguest of hints for where it’s meant to be used.

A more minor complaint is a technical issue; the game sometimes stutters, often in the middle of a jump or an intense battle, resulting in loss of health, or death. Though, Team Cherry have already said they’re working on this, so expect it to be patched soon enough.

Nevertheless, Hollow Knight has set the bar for other indie games; it may appear simple, but its complexity rivals the Souls series from which it draws much of its inspiration. The combat and platforming are tight and satisfying and the character progression keeps the game interesting and fun right to the end. The cherry—pun definitely intended—on top is the unrivalled art direction and soundtrack, which complements the intense gameplay to create a uniquely withered and bleak world.

- Aaron Mullan

Now that NoClip is a travel agency, try something completely different instead

Yes, it's in French. Yes, you have to read subtitles (amusing, considering the video content he shows is dubbed in French!). And, yes, it's a dude improvising a review over a video of the game he's reviewing, while he plays the game. If that doesn't sound bad enough, did I mention he's French?

Yet his stream-of-consciousness critiques are tres haute cuisine, and this one in particular indulges irreverently in one of Game Under's favourite guilty pleasures, criticising videogame criticism (see title), while masquerading as videogame critics.

Hollow Knight Release Trailer

Phil Fogg's in hiding for a week, Tom Towers is in biding [of his time], which means it's time for some shameless hustling by Aarny, in the form of a release trailer. If games journalism was a captcha, robots would still pass.

Coming out in but 12 days as of writing (which will be first, Hollow Knight or the next episode of the Game Under podcast?), Hollow knight is apparently shaping up promisingly. Read Aarny's first impressions here.

- Tom Towers

Game Under Podcast Episode 93 Appears

Yes. Just like THAT! Woah, sick hyperlinking dude.  Yes I know. Episode 93 of The Game Under Podcast. This episode we start examining the state of so called triple A development and start with Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4.

You'll hear analysis you will not hear anywhere else, so even if you are not interested in Uncharted 4 you will have an enjoyable hour or so listening to the unique perspective fo Tom Towers, and to a lessor extent, Phil Fogg.

Thanks for listening.

- Phil Fogg

Official Tom Towers Seal

Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History

Not only does it features "oral" in its title (which is a word that sounds like "aural"; Phil Fogg's favourite descriptor for reviews on the show), but also because it's one of the few pieces of long-form writing in videogames that deserves its reputation as being good, not simply long.

The key to successful videogame criticism is verbosity. Even popular "short" videos on YouTube, such as Game Maker's Tool Kit, work on the principle of taking a subject that may be covered in a few minutes, then finding a way to wax lyrical verbosity for ten or more minutes about it instead. 

But the development of Final Fantasy VII and the impact of its success on SquareSoft is a subject substantial enough that it actually justifies tens of thousands of words of commentary.